In 1818, when the Swansea Union Cotton Manufacturing Company was
running smoothly and the weavers of the Swansea Company’s yarn were
well organized, Israel Brayton and John Mason took on a new connection.
The Lyman Cotton Manufacturing Company, operating a Yarn Mill in
the village of Lyman near Providence, began to send its yarn to be
distributed by Brayton and Mason from their Store in Scrabbletown.
In one of the Brayton and Mason ledgers I noticed that in a single
year, 1818, home weavers wove 5242-1/2 yards of cotton cloth from the
Lyman Cotton Manufacturing Company’s yarn--distributed, inspected, and
returned by Brayton and Mason.
It was all piece work. The weavers took what yarn they wanted, wove it
as fast as they wanted their pay for the weaving. Some people kept a
comparatively small amount all winter--the roads, of course, were bad.
Some kept the same amount around three weeks or less.
These weavers were not, I hope you understand, weaving for sustenance.
There was food enough for all, all over the place. Surplus farm
products for the asking, clams for the digging, rivers running
with shad and herring, trout in every stream, all free, no license
necessary. All the fruit a man could eat--if a man were willing to go
berrying or climb a cherry tree. There was shelter of sorts in the
old farmhouses and outbuildings. No man temporarily out of luck was
ever turned away. Woolen clothing, woven and made on the farm, never
wore out. The weavers were not weaving to keep alive, certainly not.
They were weaving to get hold of some spending money. To spend on
dancing lessons, perhaps, or a trotting horse--black silk dress of
fine quality--a real lace collar--a locket--possibly some pretty shoes
and stockings. Nearly everybody went barefoot in the summer season,
winter footwear in the country had been rough stuff--made to wear
well--stockings were knitted at home by hand. On Israel’s shelves were
silk stockings--really--and bronze slippers, oh, yes.
Life in Scrabbletown cannot be understood unless you know why every man
worked and worked hard--at his own pace and when he wanted to--while
enjoying a standard of real comfort and independance such as never was
known on the globe before. This I truly believe. Nor, in the essentials
of comfort, since.
The men and women who wove the Lyman Factory yarn were the same people
who wove the Swansea Factory Yarn--that appears clearly in the Yarn
Books. Coming for yarn, a weaver was given what yarn was on hand.
What else appears clearly, in a note from Wheaton Luther to Israel,
even as early as August, 1819, is that the weavers were exceedingly
independent. “Weavers won’t weave 4/4 for 1 cent per yard more.” So
they didn’t.
Though wages by 1821 were a minor matter. What really mattered by then
is apparent in the letter which follows:
“Sir
I do not know what to tell people when they come to the store. All
last week I told them they could have yarn on Tuesday. I then told
them they could have it on Wednesday. They came in and there was no
yarn. And I know no other way at present than to tell them I shall
never have any more and then if I disappoint them it will not be to
their prejudice.
I have promised goods in the same way and now I have an opportunity
to sell a silk gown for cash but I must lose it because it did not
come in at the time I promised. I am very sure that there will be
no necessity of keeping the store unless I can make promise of
goods and of yarn etc.
Wheaton Luther.”
The weave books of the Lyman Company are well kept and Israel
maintained excellent relations with both the weavers and the Lyman
Company until he shut up shop.
The Lyman yarn was shipped to Israel in Egypt, I suppose. For by 1818
Brayton and Mason had opened a Branch Store in Egypt, a suburb of
Somerset, and was using it as another distributing center for yarn. It
was far more convenient than Scrabbletown, being close to Slade’s Ferry
Landing. And close to the shipyards of Somerset and Troy and Egypt.
Ships were again on the stocks. That meant more trade for Israel.
Many letters are in the barrel giving itemized accounts of the
transactions between the stores of Egypt and Scrabbletown. Goods were
always being sent back and forth. But always, as you have seen in
Wheaton Luther’s letter, the store in Egypt could never get enough.
Israel had to buy a waggon of his own, to send the goods demanded.
Nobody could wait for the Troy baggage waggon which crossed the Ferry
when the weather permitted, and ambled over from Somerset to Swansea
and parts beyond. After careful correspondence, Israel ordered a waggon
to be made in Rutland by a certain Mr. Bigelow. It was ordered in the
spring and delivered in September. It was a major transaction. There
had to be boxes to fit the waggon, of course; and extra boxes. Philip
Bowers whose waggon in the early days was hired by Israel, complained
that new and better boxes must be furnished to carry Israel’s goods--if
he was to take them. He used to complain to Wheaton Luther.
You will notice that Wheaton Luther, the Scrabbletown clerk, after
being transferred to the Egypt store, took full charge of its running.
And wrote many letters to Israel, more than I have space to quote.
Wheaton was an extraordinary man, really. You ought to read all his
letters. And the three letters from his sister-in-law, also found in
the barrel. They were written in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1818
and 1819.
Wheaton’s brother, who seems to have been a bad lot, deserted his wife
and daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, some years before this story
opens, and nobody had been able to find him. His deserted wife wrote to
her brother-in-law, Wheaton, to tell him that a Somerset man had seen
her husband in the “Spanish Settlements” and that he was in bad shape.
“An object of pity to behold.” It was not thought he could live long.
He had, I infer--only infer--been enslaved by the Spaniards. Wheaton’s
sister wrote: “I fear he is now numbered with the pale nations
underground”. Yes, she really did.
As to news; Mrs. Luther wrote that Giles Luther and his son, “a very
fine young man”, had called on her in Charleston--dropped in from
Somerset--and “thair has been several shaks of an Earthquake in this
place that are very alarming”. In a later letter: “Death has taken away
thousands from Charleston this past summer. It was truly disturbing.
Scarcely a family escaped without one or more taken away.--I have put
Catherine and Eliza both to school.”
It is apparent that little Egypt had connections in 1819 with the
outside world--vivid connections.
Some years later, Wheaton Luther resigned to go into business for
himself--he belonged to a restless family. John D. Cartwright took
his place. Later still, Cartwright resigned, also to set up his own
business, and John Wood signed the letters of the Egypt Store. Under
all the clerks the business continued to grow. And would have grown
even more rapidly thought all the clerks, if only Israel would send
them more goods to sell, more yarn for the hungry looms of Somerset and
Troy.
After two years of prosperous and expanding trade, the firm of Brayton
and Mason had been dissolved. John Mason opened a store of his own
with the U.S. Post Office in one corner as was usual. Israel had
taken a new partner, his cousin, William Bowers, and continued his
business as though nothing had happened. According to the barrel all
was amicable. There are papers showing that Brayton later bought some
small things from Mason and that Mason bought some small things from
Brayton--nothing much. Possibly Mason had held Brayton back a little.
For now with his new partner, he expanded rapidly. Though still with
caution.
In that spring of 1819, Israel knew, and we can know, exactly where
he stood. He knew down to the last India Shawl just what was on the
shelves of the little stores, for an inventory was necessary when the
partnership was dissolved. The barrel held also a list of the people
who owed the firm money. In fact, there were three lists, each very
short. The amounts are tiny. I will not give here the names of the
customers who were expected to settle their accounts shortly, they
were the ordinary charge customers. But I am giving the two other
lists--they are really interesting. For Israel guessed right. They
never did pay up. One man went to jail. Their accounts, however, were
very very small.
Doubtful that these persons will pay what they owe.
Caleb Butterworth Somerset
Francis Chace
Hezekiah Chace
Mason Chace
Slade Chace
Phoebe Chace Swansea
Stephen Earle
John Eddy Somerset
Rebecca Luther
Nathan Read
Certain that these persons will not pay what they owe.
Slade Chace Somerset
Frederick Downing Freetown
Diadema Hathaway
Knowles Negus
Benjamin Purinton Swansea
Oliver Read Troy
Joseph Slade
Stephen Slade